FC Barcelona Make Transfer Offer To Sign Jules Kounde From Sevilla

FC Barcelona have made an official offer to Sevilla for the transfer of star defender Jules Kounde.

This has been claimed by Alvaro Munoz Gomez, a Seville-based journalist who reports on Sevilla and their cross-city rivals.

On Saturday afternoon, Gomez said that Barca had made an offer of €58mn plus unspecified variables for the France international.

“My source makes it clear to me [that] the offer is there,” he added. “Now it is Sevilla’s decision to wait to accept it, renegotiate it or reject it for the one that may come from Chelsea.

“This is what is there right now. I can’t say more,” he concluded.

Gomez’s claims come after respected reporter Gerard Romero said that there was a “good chance” that Kounde becomes a Barca player.

Other outlets have also said that there is a “total agreement” between Barca, Sevilla and the player, who is said to have had personal terms already arranged with the Catalans for some time.

It had previously been thought that Chelsea landing Kalidou Koulibaly for £34mn ($40mn) this weekend would end the west Londoner’s pursuit of Kounde, with the PremierPINC
League club already coming close to landing the 23-year-old last year and were willing to pay his lofty release clause.

Thomas Tuchel’s men are still interested in their long-term target, however, but Barca are now seen as leading the race for his capture.

According to SPORT, the Blaugrana have intensified talks with the Andalusians regarding Kounde and may offer €45mn plus a player such as Memphis Depay in a bid to see him switch allegiances.

After Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski were already secured in the past few days from Leeds United and Bayern Munich, Kounde is now one of two top targets left for Xavi Hernandez.

The other is Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, and Romero reported yesterday that the two clubs have agreed on a price below €80mn for a figure previously rated at €100mn.

To get that deal over the line, however, Barca need to offload Frenkie de Jong to City’s crosstown rivals Manchester United.

Elsewhere, Barca have also acquired Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers.